Hollywood is flooded with stories of actors who were *thisclose* to landing coveted roles, and Penn Badgley is sharing his story about the one that got away. Many of us remember the chokehold Breaking Bad had on the world during its reign. Bryan Cranston dominated as the conflicted Walter White, and Aaron Paul portrayed Jesse Pinkman, his troubled sidekick. In an interview with Buzzfeed, Badgley revealed the part of Pinkman came down to him and Paul.
“We tested. And actually that was the best television script I’d read, at that point. That was the one that got away," the You actor admitted. During the time, Badgley was also in the running for Gossip Girl, and he ended up landing that role. The missed opportunity for Breaking Bad is a story that Paul also previously shared.
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Years ago, Paul recalled seeing Badgley walk in to audition and believing he would lose out. “Right when he walked in, I was like, ‘Oh my God, that guy looks like a meth addict,'” Paul told Entertainment Weekly back in 2020. “In a good way! He was just in the role. I was like, ‘This guy is going to steal it from me.'”
These days, Badgley is haunting Netflix on You, a stalker series that has captivated audiences. We're in the thick of Season 4, and while Badgley is enjoying the show's success, he revealed one thing he isn't comfortable with. In a recent interview with Variety, the actor said he wished he didn't have to do so many sex scenes. It's something that the married father said is important to not have because of his "real life."
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“My fidelity in my relationship,” Badgley shared. “It’s important to me. And actually, it was one of the reasons that I initially wanted to turn the role down. I didn’t tell anybody that. But that is why.” Additionally, it was reported in Season 4, all of the sex scenes were reportedly filmed fully clothed.
[via]